Driving shoe for use with wood pile



O Nov. 23, 1965 v. J. FIORE 3,218,813

DRIVING SHOE FOR USE WITH WOOD PILE Filed April 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Vincem J. Fiore i dc-ww ATTORNEY Nov. 23, 1965 v. J. FIORE 3,21

DRIVING SHOE FOR USE WITH WOOD PILE Filed April 30, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Vincenr J. Fiore ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1965 3,218,813 DRIVING SHOE FOR USE WITH WOOD PILE Vincent J. Fiore, New York, N.Y., assignor to Foundation Specialties Inc. Filed Apr. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 190,951 7 Claims. (CI. 61-53) This invention relates in general to a pile driving shoe and method of making the same, and more specifically to a driving shoe adapted for use with wood piles, and the method for forming the same.

In preparing wood piles for driving, it has heretofore been customary to shape by hand with an ax or adz a frustum conical tip on the end of the pile to adapt it for receiving a metallic driving shoe. Heretofore, metal driving shoes, e.g., steel, for use on wood piles have been provided with a solid, wedged or conically shaped driving tip which is connected to an extended tapering Wall portion. With driving shoes of such prior known construction, experience has shown that on encountering an obstruction in driving, the unsupported tapered wall portions of the shoe tended to separate from the wood pile and bend back, thus forcing the solid bottom or conical tip thereof into the center of the wood pile; thereby causing the pile to split or mushroom.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide an improved driving shoe particularly adapted for use on wood pile, and a method of making the same.

Another object is to provide a wood pile driving shoe which is light in weight, yet sturdy and rugged in construction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a driving shoe for a wood pile which can be readily fabricated from sheet metal material.

A still further object is to provide a driving shoe for wood pile which is formed with a hollow tip arranged to snugly receive a tip end of a pile which is preformed to conform to the cavity of the hollow tip of the driving shoe.

Another object is to provide a driving shoe of a given standard size with an expandable ferrule portion which is readily adapted to accommodate within the expandable limits of the ferrule a range of varying pile sizes.

A feature of this invention resides in the provision that the driving shoes of this invention prohibit the splitting or mush-rooming effect heretofore encountered in driving wood piles with the heretofore solid tip driving shoes.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent when considered in view of the drawings and following description, in which:

FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 are side views of a wood pile having varying shaped tip constructions.

FIGS. 2, 4, 6, 8 and are the end views of the tip construction of FIGS. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 respectively, looking in the direction of the respective section lines 2-2, 44, 66, 88 and 1010.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a driving shoe for use on a wood pile having a tip construction of the type illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the driving shoe of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a top plan view of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a modified tip construction for use on a pile having a tip construction of FIGS. 5, 6.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a side view of another modified driving shoe for use with a pile having a tip construction of FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 17 is a side view of another modification looking along line 1717 of FIG. 18, and which is adapted for use with tip construction of FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 18 is a plan View of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 is a view of the expanded blank construction from which each half section of the shoe of FIGS. 17 and 18 is formed.

FIG. 20 is a side view of still another modified shoe construction for use on a pile with a tip configuration of FIGS. 9 and 10.

FIG. 21 is an end view of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of FIG. 21.

FIG. 23 is an expanded blank from which a half portion of the shoe of FIGS. 20 to 22 is formed.

Referring to the drawings, there is disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 10 various shapes of tip constructions which may be formed on the end of a wood pile prior to driving the same. In accordance with this invention, an improved driving shoe construction for each of the various tip constructions shown is herein set forth.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate a wood pile 30 having a cone shaped tip 31. The cone tip 31 may be formed on the end of the ile 30 by means of a shaping device disclosed in my co-pending application Serial No. 185,683 filed April 6, 1962, now Patent No. 3,118,476.

With this device the need for hand cutting the conical tip with an ax or adz is wholly eliminated.

In accordance with this invention an improved driving shoe 32 of FIGS. 11 to 13 is provided for facilitating the driving of a pile construction 3 and 4 into the ground. As shown, the driving shoe 32 for use with pile 30 is formed of sheet material, e.g., sheet or plate steel. Preferably the shoe 32 of FIGS. 11 to 13 is formed of two blanks of sheet steel 32A, 32B, each of which are die formed into similar configurations to define a half portion of the shoe 32. Two such formed half portions 32A, 32B are then placed back-to-back, and welded together along seams 33, 34 to form the whole shoe. As shown, the shoe 32 of FIGS. 11 to 13 comprises a hollow conical tip 35 which is adapted to snugly receive the conical tip 31 of the pile 30. In forming the tip 35 of the shoe 32, each plate section 32A, 32B, adjacent the cone tip is crimped to define a double fold fin blade 36. Formed integral with each fold 36A, 36B of the crimped fin blade 36 is a fin 37 and 38, respectively, and bent normal thereto. The crimped folds 36A, 36B and the bent fins 37, 38 bent normal thereto are formed so that the material therebetween assumes or defines a quarter section 35A of the inverted conical tip 35.

The portions 39 of the shoe 32 extending beyond the I conical tip define a ferrule 40 for embracing the circumference of pile 30 beyond the tip end thereof. In this form of the invention the ferrule portion 39 is substantially circular in cross-section, each ferrule portion 39 defining substantially one half of the circumference.

In accordance with this invention two such half sectrons 32A, 32B are placed back-to-back and Welded together at 33, 34 to define the entire shoe structure. If it 1s to be noted that the bent fins 37 and 38 of the respective half portions 32A, 32B are disposed in backto-back abutting relationship, and are joined along their contiguous edge portions by a continuous welded seam 34. Seam 34 extends along the contiguous vertical and bottom edges of abutting fins 37 and 38. In accordance with this invention the bottom edges of the crimped or folded fin blades 36 are also welded by continuous seam 33. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, the ferrule portion 40 of the shoe is defined by a pair of upright wall portions 39 which are semi-circular in cross section, and which are separated along their longitudinal edge portions by a vertical V-shaped split or space 41. Thus, with the construction described, the ferrule portion 40 of the shoe 32 are rendered readily expandable, as the respective wall portions 39 thereof can be flexed to a limited extent. In this manner, the shoe 32 described can accommodate piles of varying sizes, and only the conical tip end 31 thereof need be accurately formed. However, with the shaping device of the foregoing mentioned copending application, no difliculty will be encountered in accurately shaping the conical tip on the pile to fit the hollow tip 35 of the shoe 32.

To secure the ferrule portion 40 of the shoes 32 to the pile 30, a plurality of apertures 42 are formed in the upper edge of the ferrule 40. Thus, the shoe 32 may be secured to the pile by driving a'nail or other suitable fastener through the aperture 42 and into the pile.

With the shoe described it will be apparent that the conical tip 31 of pile 30 is snugly received in the hollow tip 35 of shoe 32. Thus in driving a wood pile 30, the shoe 32 becomes snugly fitted to the pile 30, and the difiiculty heretofore encountered by the solid tip shoe is eliminated.

FIG. 14 illustrates a shoe construction 50 similar in construction to that described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 with the exception that the ferrule portions 51 incline upwardly and outwardly from the hollow conical tip 53 to accommodate those pile tip constructions 54 which are tapered at 55 immediately adjacent the conical tip 56, as is shown in FIGS. and 6. In operation shoe 50 functions and operates similar to shoe 32 of FIGS. 11 to 13.

FIG. 16 illustrates a shoe construction 60 adapted to fit a pile 61 having a tip construction disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown, the pile 61 of FIGS. 7 and 8 has a tapered tip 62 to define a frustum of a cone. Thus the tip 62 of the pile 61 has a blunt end 63. The shoe 60 of FIG. 16 is constructed to snugly accommodated tip 62. For accommodating such tip, the bottom 64 of shoe 60 is made flat, and the fin blades 65, 66 are crimped to define a double fold fin as described .hereinbefore with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13, the folds of the crimped fin having integrally connected laterally bent fins 67, 68 respectively. The ferrule portion 69 of the respective half sections 69A, 69B are inclined upwardly and outwardly for accommodating the tapered portion 62 of the frustum conical tip of pile 61. In this form of the invention the respective half sections 69A, 69B are secured together by welding of the fin blades 67, 68 in the manner described with refer ence to FIGS. 11 to 13. Also the ferrule portions of the respective half sections are separated by a split 690 so as to render the ferrule portion 69 of the shoe expandable to accommodate a range varying pile sizes within the expandable limits of ferrule half sections 69A, 69 B. Apertures 69D are formed in the upper marginal portion of the respective ferrule portions 69A, 69B through which a nail or the like may be driven to secure the ferrule 69 to the pile 61.

FIGS. 17 to 19 illustrate a further modified driving shoe construction 70 adapted for use with a pile 71 having a tip construction 72 disclosed in FIGS. 9 and 10. The tip 72 of the pile 71 of FIGS. 9 and is first formed with a conical tip, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, as for example with the shaping device of said co-pending application Serial No. 185,683. The conical tip, thus formed, is then cut to define flat chisel faces 73A, 7313 on opposite sides of the conical tip to thus define a chisel edge 73.

In accordance with this invention a drive shoe 70 adapted to snugly fit such tips-72 may be formed from two similarly shaped blanks 74 of sheet material, e.g., steel or the like. As shown in FIG. 19, each blank 74 is substantially trapezoidal in shape, and which have preformed therein foldlines F1, F2, F3, F4. Each blank 74 for defining a half section of shoe 70 is then die formed to define an inverted semi-conical, end portion 75 between foldlines F1, F2. Connected integral to the ends of the semi-conical portion 75 along foldline F1 and P2 of each die formed blank 74 is a Hat triangular side face 76, the flat of which tapers downwardly and inwardly so that the base portions 76A ofthe respective side faces 76 are contiguously disposed to define a fin blade 77. Folded laterally outwardly at substantially right angles along respective foldlines F3, F4, to each of the side faces 76 is a fin blade 78. As seen in FIG. 19, the foldlines F2, F4 and F1, F3 are arranged so that they intersect at a point P1, P2, respectively, intermediate the parallelsides S1, S2. With this arrangement it will be noted that in the formed and assembled position, two complementary sections A, 70B will have defined therebetween adjacent the upper ferrule portion of the shoe a V-shaped split 79. The splits 79 provide the shoe with a degree of expandability so as to render it adapted to a range of pile sizes.

Two preformed blanks 74, die formed into half section 70A, 70B as described are thus disposed back-to-back so that fins 78 of the respective half sections abut one another. With the die formed half section so placed, the shoe is made integral by welding along the contiguous edges of fins 77 and 78. Thus, it will be apparent that shoe 70 is thus formed with opposed conically shaped end portions interconnected by opposed fiat side faces 76, the base of which defines a chisel shaped bottom edge. Thus, the tip construction 72 of pile 71 can be snugly received in the hollow tip of shoe 70.

FIGS. 20 to 23 define a further modified tip construction 80 adapted for use on pile tips having a more pronounced chisel edge of the type disclosed in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this form of the invention the shoe tip 80 is formed from two precut blanks 81, formed from suitable blank or sheet material, e.g., steel. Each of the precut blanks is provided with foldlines F6, F7, F8, F9.

As shown the blank 81 comprises a five sided figure, wherein the figure of the blank departs from a pure rectangle by sides S3, S4 defining an angle in the bottom edge thereof. Each blank 81 so formed is die formed to define a respective half section 81A, 81B of tip 80. The respective blanks 81 are die formed to define an inverted, semi-conical end portion 82 between foldlines F6, F7. Connected to each edge of the semi-conical end portion along respective foldlines F6, F7 is a fiat side face 83. Laterally bent outwardly, and substantially at right angles with respect to the fiat side faces 83 of the blank is a fin blade 84. As shown the side face portions 83 taper inwardly and downwardly to define a sharp edge 85 to form fin blade extending normal to edges of fin blades 84. Apertures 87, 87 formed in the upper corners of each plate-81 are arranged to receive a suitable fastener, such as a nail, by which the shoe 80 is secured to the pile.

It will be apparent that the tip 80 is formed simply from two identically formed precut blanks of sheet steel, or the like, each of which is subsequently die formed in the manner described to assume a particular configuration to form a half section of the shoe 80. Each half section is formed to provide a semi-conical inverted end portion 83 connected with opposed flat faces which incline downwardly so that their base edges of the complementary faces are contiguously disposed, and outwardly extending fin blade is integrally connected to the outer edge of each face portion. The respective configuration of each die formed blank can be thus readily formed.

Two such die formed blanks are then placed back-toback so that fins 84 are disposed in abutting relationship. With the blanks so placed, they are secured together by a weld fusing the contiguous edges of fins 84 and the base edges of opposed side faces 83.

From the foregoing descriptions of the various modifications herein described, it will be apparent that each of the shoes can be readily formed from sheet metal material. Further, the construction is such that the respective shoe constructions each defines a hollow tip having a cavity which is arranged to snugly receive a particular pro-form pile tip. The ferrule portion of the respective tips are rendered expandable so that a standard sized pile shoe is rendered readily adapted to fit a range of piles having varying diameters. This is an important consideration when it is noted that wood piles rarely are identical in shape or cross-sectional axis. Further, the disclosed shoe construction of the instant invention is formed of sheet material, and thus is light in weight, rugged in construction, easy to fabricate, and relatively inexpensive to fabricate.

While the instant invention has been disclosed with reference to several embodiments thereof, it is to be appreciated that the invention is not to be taken as limited to all of the details thereof as modifications and variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A driving shoe adapted to be fitted to the tip end of a wood pile, said shoe comprising a pair of sheet metal blanks, each of said blanks being formed to define a half section, each of said half sections being formed to define an inverted conical end with a pair of opposed fiat side faces, said faces inclining downwardly and inwardly so that said fiat side faces are c-ontiguously disposed to define a fin blade, and a laterally extending end flap bent outwardly at right angles with respect to each of said side faces, and each of said half sections so formed disposed in back-to-back relationship so that said end flaps of the respective half sections are disposed in abutting position, and a weld connecting the contiguous edges of the abutting end flaps and the contiguous edges of said fiat side faces.

2. A driving shoe adapted to be fitted to the tip end of a wood pile, said shoe comprising a pair of sheet metal blanks, each of said blanks being formed to define an inverted semi-conical end with a pair of opposed triangular fiat side faces tapering downwardly and inwardly so that said triangular faces are contiguously disposed to define a fin blade and a laterally extending triangular end flap bent outwardly at right angles with respect to each of said sides faces; and each of said formed blanks so formed being disposed back-to-back so that said end flaps of the respective blanks are disposed in abutting position; and a weld connecting the bottom edges of the abutting end flaps.

3. A driving shoe adapted to be fitted to the tip end of a wood pile, said shoe comprising a pair of sheet metal blanks, each of said blanks being formed to define a half section of said shoe, each of said half sections defining an inverted semi-conical portion defining an end portion of said shoe and a pair of opposed substantially rectangu lar flat side faces which incline downwardly and inwardly so that said fiat faces are contiguously disposed to define a fin blade, a laterally extending triangular end flap bent outwardly at right angles with respect to each of said side faces, and each of said formed blanks being disposed back-to-back so that said end flaps of the respective blanks are disposed in abutting position; and a weld connecting the contiguous edges of the abutting end flaps.

4. A driving shoe adapted to be fitted to the tip of a wood pile having a conical tip formed with opposed flat faces to define a chisel tip, said shoe comprising a pair of sheet metal blanks, each of said blanks defining a half section of said shoe, each of said half sections defining an inverted semi-conical portion adapted to define an end portion of said shoe wherein the side of said semicone intersect the side edges of its respective blanks, a pair of opposed substantially flat side faces which incline downwardly and inwardly so that said flat faces are contiguously disposed to define a fin blade disposed normal to said conical end portion, and a laterally extending triangular end flap bent outwardly at right angles with respect to each of said side faces, and each of said formed blanks being disposed back-to-back so that the end flaps of the respective blanks are disposed in abutting position, and a weld connecting the contiguous edges of the abutting end flaps and the abutting lower edges of said side faces.

5. A driving shoe adapted to be fitted to the tip end of a wood pile, said shoe being formed entirely of sheet material and comprising a pair of similarly constructed half-sections, each half-section including a ferrule portion having its bottom portion crimped to define a semiinver-ted conical tip with a plurality of integrally formed radially extended fins, said fins including an intermediate fin defined by a pinched fold of said sheet material intermediate the ends thereof, and an end fin bent laterally with respect to the semi-conical tip, a welded seam uniting the pinch fold of each respective half-section, said halfsections being disposed in back-to-back relationship, and a weld seam uniting the adjacent ends of said end fins, and said ferrule portion being formed with a pair of opposed V-shaped splits formed in the wall portion thereof whereby said splits render said ferrule adaptable for accommodating a range of varying pile sizes and wherein the sides of said V-shaped splits form an extension of said end fins of the respective half-sections.

6. A driving shoe formed of sheet material and adapted to be fitted to the tip end of a wood pile, said shoe comprising a pair of half-sections disposed in back-to-back relationship each of said half-sections having an integrally connected ferrule portion adapted to receive in the assembled position thereof the tip end of a pile, said ferrule portion terminanting in spaced edge portions to define opposed V-shaped splits formed in the Wall portion of the assembled shoe whereby said V-splits divide said ferrule portion into a pair of ferrule sections to render said ferrule portion expandable and thereby readily adapted for accommodating a range of varying pile sizes, each of said ferrule sections having a hole formed therein for receiving a fastener by which the shoe is secured to a pile, and a plurality of fins formed integral with said bottom portion of said shoe, said fins being formed by a pinched fold of said sheet metal to define a fin of double wall thickness, and a welded seam for uniting the double wall of each fin whereby the pinch fold defines a segment of the inverted conical tip.

7. A driving tip formed of sheet material for a wood pile comprising V split ferrule port-ion defining a frustum of an inverted cone adapted to embrace the circumference of a pile at one end thereof, said split ferrule enabling said tip to be adjusted to piles of varying circumferences within a given range of sizes, a closed bottom portion connected to the end of said ferrule portion, a plurality of fins of double thickness of the said sheet material integrally connected to said closed bottom portion, said fins having an upwardly and inwardly inclined cutting edge, said closed bottom portion being defined as an inverted cone with the apex of said cone defined at the line of intersection of the said fins, said ferrule formed of two opposed sections with the opposed sides of said sections defining said split of V shape with said sides being extensions of said fins.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 466,012 12/ 1891 Seaman. 1,018,979 2/1912 Mast 61-53 1,678,744 7/ 1928 Olsen. 1,879,414 9/1932 Munoz 61-53 1,909,352 5/1933 Hausler 22 2,102,921 12/ 1937 Schmitt 6 15 3 2,118,499 5/1938 Durbin l13116 2,313,236 3/1943 Himmel et al. 113-116 2,864,241 12/ 1958 Fiore et al. 61 53 2,942,426 6/1960 Stoll 61-53 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,188 4/ 1919 Austria. 614,816 2/ 1961 Canada. 592,377 1/ 1925 France.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner. JACOB SHAPIRO, EARL J. WITMER, Examiners. 

1. A DRIVING SHOE ADAPTED TO BE FITTED TO THE TIP END OF A WOOD PILE, SAID SHOE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SHEET METAL BLANKS, EACH OF SAID BLANKS BEING FORMED TO DEFINE A HALF SECTION, EACH OF SAID HALF SECTIONS BEING FORMED TO DEFINE AN INVERTED CONICAL END WITH A PAIR OF OPPOSED FLAT SIDE FACES, SAID FACES INCLINING DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY SO THAT SAID FLAT SIDE FACES ARE CONTIGUOUSLY DISPOSED TO DEFINE A FIN BLADE, AND A LATERALLY EXTENDING END FLAP BENT OUTWARDLY AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO EACH OF SAID SIDE FACES, AND EACH OF SAID HALF SECTIONS SO FORMED DISPOSED IN BACK-TO-BACK RELATIONSHIP SO THAT SAID END FLAPS OF THE RESPECTIVE HALF SECTIONS ARE DISPOSED IN ABUTTING POSITION, AND A WELD CONNECTING THE CONTIGUOUS EDGES OF THE ABUTTING END FLAPS AND THE CONTIGUOUS EDGES OF SAID FLAT SIDE FACES. 